Up early?
She had barely slept all night.
With the support of that god-tier spiritual Martial Soul, her spiritual power, memory, and comprehension had all reached terrifying levels.
Last night, she had voraciously read through the entire General Knowledge of Spirit Masters.
The vast, systematic, and extraordinary world described in the book, centered on Martial Souls and Soul Power, had set her heart pounding, leaving her unable to calm down.
She realized that although the power system she had once known was unique in this world, relying on her own strength alone meant she could reach only a very low ceiling in terms of resources.
The top-tier Soul Rings, Soul Bones, and cultivation resources... the vast majority were firmly held in the hands of the great sects, empires, and Spirit Hall.
Without attaching themselves to some power, ordinary people would find acquiring them harder than climbing to the heavens.
But this did not discourage her. On the contrary, it stirred her innate competitive spirit and desire to conquer even more.
And the mysterious young man before her might be the key to breaking through that barrier.
He could produce such a detailed introductory text with a casual wave of his hand, and summon them across worlds. The resources and secrets he possessed were probably far beyond what she could imagine.
For instance, the "God-Bestowed Soul Ring," vaguely described in the book and mentioned only in legends; or the "Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone," enough to drive even Titled Douluo mad...
At the very least, he ought to be able to produce a few ten-thousand-year Soul Bones, right?
Before that annoying Yan Fei could get her hands on the benefits first, she had to claim as much of her share as possible!
To do that, she had to make herself more useful, more thoughtful, and more indispensable.
"Young Master, you're here. There are no servants in the residence yet, and I didn't dare neglect my duties, so I got up early to make preparations."
Yue Shen's voice was gentle, her manner impeccably deferential. Her lowered lashes concealed the calculations flickering in her eyes.
Zhao Linchuan set down his teacup and let his gaze linger on Yue Shen for a moment.
This woman seemed gentle and respectful, but in truth she was a deeply calculating, ruthless, and ambitious sort.
A sudden thought struck him, and the outline of a brilliant plan took shape in his mind.
"You've been thoughtful. We should buy some maids and servants later. You don't need to trouble yourself with these chores."
His tone was warm as he pointed to the chair beside him. "Sit."
Yue Shen sat as he instructed, her back straight, her hands still folded in her lap. She was quiet as a painting, without a single flaw to be found.
The central hall fell silent for a moment, broken only by the faint sounds of the morning breeze passing through the courtyard.
Zhao Linchuan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. "Yue Shen."
"This subordinate is here."
"Do you... have a name?" Zhao Linchuan asked casually, as though making conversation.
"Huh?" Yue Shen clearly hadn't expected him to ask that. She froze for a moment.
A name?
In the Yin-Yang School, they had only codenames. Names were things long forgotten or deliberately cast aside.
She hesitated, then finally replied in a low voice, "This subordinate... is surnamed Ji."
She didn't give her full name, as though it were a mark sealed away for so long that she was no longer accustomed to speaking it.
"Oh, the Ji surname." Zhao Linchuan nodded and asked no more. Instead, he said, "Yue Shen, if there's something you want to say, you might as well speak plainly."
"You don't need to keep beating around the bush and acting so cautiously in front of me."
Yue Shen's breath hitched, almost imperceptibly.
Had he seen through her?
She licked her slightly dry lips, weighing the pros and cons in her mind.
Opportunities vanished in the blink of an eye. Perhaps this was the right moment to reveal a little of her "ambition."
A measured amount of ambition could sometimes better demonstrate one's worth.
She raised her eyes and looked at Zhao Linchuan, her gaze clear and resolute. Her voice remained gentle, but held a trace of longing.
"Please see clearly, Young Master. This subordinate... does have a question, though I don't know whether it would be presumptuous."
"Go ahead."
"Young Master... do you know how one can obtain a 'God-Bestowed Soul Ring' in this world, or... a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
As she asked, Yue Shen's heart began to beat a little faster.
She knew this was rash, but it was the quickest way to gauge the depth of his resources.
At her words, Zhao Linchuan leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. His face revealed no joy or anger as he spoke blandly.
"Yue Shen, I never expected you to have such an appetite—or such grand ambitions."
As his words fell, he turned his hand over. A strange, pitch-black orb of light appeared out of thin air in his palm.
He had spent 2,000 System Mall points to exchange for this God-Bestowed Soul Ring. Its absorption limit was fixed at ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years, just short of the hundred-thousand-year threshold.
"I happen to have a God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
He held it in his palm, its black glow illuminating his face. "This one is a little special, though. The maximum age of the Soul Ring it can bestow is ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years."
"Just one year short of a hundred thousand, yet that gap is like a heavenly chasm."
Yue Shen's gaze was instantly drawn to the black orb. She could sense the vast energy and some sort of law within it. Her breathing quickened involuntarily, and her chest rose and fell.
Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years!
That was a top-tier Soul Ring most people wouldn't even dare dream of!
"Then... what about ones over a hundred thousand years?" she blurted out, a nearly obsessive light shining in her eyes.
Zhao Linchuan turned his wrist and put away the God-Bestowed Soul Ring. His tone remained as flat as before.
"Yue Shen, you should understand one thing: you don't get something for nothing."
The brief sentence doused the burning heat in Yue Shen's heart like a basin of ice water.
She abruptly came to her senses, realizing how carried away and presumptuous she had been.
That's right. How could something so precious be given away for nothing?
She hadn't yet accomplished a single thing for this "Young Master," yet she'd already greedily demanded such rewards. How foolish!
She immediately rose and bowed deeply to Zhao Linchuan. Her tone returned to its former deference, now tinged with a hint of alarm. "This subordinate was presumptuous. Please punish me, Young Master."
"It's nothing to apologize for."
Zhao Linchuan rose too and walked up to her, regarding her calmly.
"Yue Shen, I've realized that you live... too cautiously, and you're too wound up."
"Set aside, for now, those habits of intrigue and painstaking maneuvering from your old world."
He turned and walked out of the central hall, his voice carrying back to her.
"Come with me. There's just the thing I need your help with."
"Do it well, and you'll have your reward."
At his words, Yue Shen's heart first tightened, then surged with uncontrollable delight!
He had a task for her!
That meant she had value! An opportunity!
"Yes! I'll obey your orders, Young Master!" she replied quickly, hurrying after Zhao Linchuan. She was even more deferential than before, and the faint sense of defeat in her heart had already been replaced by soaring fighting spirit.
As they left the central hall, her gaze instinctively drifted toward the other side of the courtyard, toward the room with its doors and windows shut tight—the one belonging to Yan Fei.
The faint light of dawn fell across the window lattice, and all was quiet.
A barely perceptible smile, mingling smugness with defiance, flickered across Yue Shen's lips.
Hmph, the early bird... gets the worm. Yan Fei, this time, I beat you to it.
Before you continue